Denver and the West

Colorado gun checks surge in 2013, but only 1.9 percent are rejected

Firearms are seen for sale in this file photo. (Seth Perlman, Associated Press file photo)

While Colorado politicians went head-to-head under the gold dome in 2013 over gun-control legislation, firearms dealers made money hand over fist.

More people tried to buy a gun in 2013 than in any year in the state's history. Nearly 400,000 criminal background checks were processed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for would-be gun purchasers — or 16 percent more than in 2012, itself a record-breaking year.

Despite a new law that expanded background checks to include all gun sales, 2013 data show that only 1.9 percent of checks were denied. The denial rate is lower than it was in 2012, prior to the new law. In 2012, 2.1 percent of sales netted denials.

The big numbers came during a year when the gun control debate extended far beyond the legislative session. Two state senators — Angela Giron of Pueblo and John Morse of Colorado Springs — were recalled for their support of the measures. Another lawmaker, Evie Hudak, resigned before facing a possible recall election for the same reasons.

Officials and experts on both sides of the gun-control debate said the big numbers were not surprising and that the data are proof the system, with the addition of new legislation, works.

There were 396,955 background checks processed by the CBI in 2013. The total topped 2012's total by 53,653 checks, data show.

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There were 6,198 checks run for private gun sales from July, when the expanded background check kicked in, through December. The new checks for private sales resulted in 122 denials during those months.

"It is gratifying to see the result of all the work, to see that the bill is doing what is was meant to do," she said.

A Second Amendment expert said he was not surprised by the numbers, as threats of gun control boost gun sales.

"The people of Colorado consider their Second Amendment rights to be important, not only in theory, but also important to exercise in their personal lives," said Dave Kopel, an Independence Institute researcher, University of Denver law school professor and author of a law-school textbook on firearms law and policy.

Of the 7,351 denials for private and retail sales, 41 were flagged for an arrest or conviction of homicide, 166 for an arrest or conviction of sexual assault and 1,412 for an arrest or conviction of assault, according to the data.

It is unclear how many of those denials were upheld on appeal, because the applications are pending. In 2012, of the more than 3,800 denials that were appealed, 1,571 were upheld, data show.

"I see this all as good news," Carroll said. "People are in compliance."

The CBI system was so inundated with background check applications at the end of 2012 into 2013, that many buyers waited almost 10 days for the checks to clear. That CBI department added staff to meet the demand.

"The changes implemented since last year have dramatically reduced the wait times for the background checks for firearms transfers while maintaining the integrity of the process," said CBI director Ron Sloan.

State Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, the other sponsor of the expanded background checks bill, said the additional measure was good for the state and, as shown by data, working well.

Other measures passed last year on the state level included charging a fee for firearm background checks. The most contentious of the new laws limits ammunition magazines to 15-rounds.

A lawsuit is making its way through the court that challenges the legality of some of the new gun-control measures, including the 15-round magazine limit.

Updated Jan. 21, 2014 at 10:25 a.m.This article has been revised to reflect the following correction. Because of an editing error, the number of applicants rejected was misstated in the article's headline. 1.9 percent of checks were denied.

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